The link between the actual and the abstract is what makes the number sense approach so applicable and easy to understand. Materials are key in implementing beginning lessons because these physical counting materials can help utilize the basic counting skills that the children will most fundamentally understand. Common materials used in first and second grade classrooms are unit blocks, which contain cube groups of one, five, 10 and 20, for example, and allow students to group given amounts of blocks as requested by the instructor. For a more cost-effective counting aide, "number sense beans," or large uncooked white beans, can be labeled 1 to 50 with a marker, according to smartfirstgrader.com. Using these beans, students can choose a numbered bean and then pull a second bean that is either a higher or lower number. Unlabeled beans can be used in grouping activities in which students are asked to make groups of 10 or other amounts. These types of items help students link physical amounts to the abstract names and symbols called numbers.
Number sense activities may not necessarily require the usual unit- or number-based materials. For example, class cooking experiments allow students to count out a certain amount or measurement of ingredients and carry a practical application to abstract directions. Additionally, playing "guess my number" or creating a number line can help students to understand what order numbers go in, as well as what it means if a number is higher or lower than another.
There are a number of online number sense games that help students to learn practical methods of number assignment and counting. These games provide interactive number quizzes; for example, a game may highlight a certain amount of blocks on a grid and ask students to count the blocks and enter the number of blocks that are highlighted (see Resources). Similar online exercises may ask students to highlight a certain amount of items on the screen to match a number that is given. To practice ordinal numbers, other games may ask a student to perform tasks such as "click on the fifth robot," or "click on the lower number." These exercises can help provide a more modern spin on early number learning and add an element of digital fun to your lessons.
Worksheets can help students record and solidify the lessons they are learning in class. Worksheets may also provide a more accurate picture of which students may need extra help with numbers and counting. Many online math education websites provide worksheets (see Resources). Number sense worksheets may have problems in which there are two numbers and the student must draw a "less than" or "more than" symbol to indicate which number is higher. Students may also have worksheets that require them to write the numeral equivalent of a typewritten number (i.e. "three hundred" is 300) or vice versa. Additionally, worksheets may teach students the concept of ordinal numbers, such as first (1st) and second (2nd) by asking them to circle the requested ordinal number in a line of objects (i.e. "circle the 10th penny").